stouffer



June 29, 1943. o. F. sTouFFER 2,323,161

GARAGE DOOR SUSPENSION MEANS Filed Sept. 7, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 O. F. STOUFFER GARAGE DOOR SUSPENSION MEANS June 29, 1943.

. Filed Sept. '7,- 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented .lune 29, 1943 i 2,323,161

-UNiTao sreTa-s El151'!"g OF-Fl-C 2,323,161 nei-:aon noon snsnniysion MEANS Oscar F. Stouien'Spencer, Iowa Y intention-september 7, ieio, serial. No. 355,847 cierne. (ci. ifi-e3) This invention relates to improvements indoor `Eig. l is a View inperspective of the doorconconstructions of the type commonly used lin struction embodyingthe presentinvention. *garages or barns and pertains particularly to a Fig. 2 is a detailedv View showing the ,counter- `novel and improved construction wherein the balance weightand'guide means therefor.

door is shifted -in opening, to an overhead posi- .5 Fig. 3 is a View in elevation'of the hinge pin tion. supporting bracket. A primary object ofthe present invention is to Fig. 4 is a sectional viewonnthe line 4 4- of provide an improved overhead door construc- Fig. 3.

tion which is so designed-that the door may be 5 is a View in side elevation of a runner easily shifted to an overhead position from its lo unit.

closed position Without having its lower portion Fig. 6 iS a View in front elevation of the runner swung outwardly from the opening in which 1t 1s unit.

located, thereby making it possible to easily open Referring now more particularly to the drawthe door under conditions which -wou1d cause ings, the numeral l generally designates a wall considerable interference with the opening of l5 Structure in Wlliell iS fOImed d C1001 Opening other types of overhead Ydoors such, for example, Which iS bordered v0r Outlined by the frame 2.

as a condition which frequently develops in the This frame consists of the usual sill 3 and side Winter where snow piles up against the outer side 'and OD jams 4 and 5, ITeSPeClJil/ely of the door and forms an obstruction t0 .the In accordance With the present invention, each moving 0f the door Where such door must Swing 20 of the Vertical OI Sd jambs has Secured'theleto outwardly in being moved to its open position the Velileal angle bai 6, 011e lfllge'of WlllCh 1010- Another obJect of the invention is to pi ovide .eCtS inwardly t0 fOIm d track 7 The OD lamb 1n an overhead door construction, a novel means '55*'may be provided with a Jarnb Stllp 8 against of suspending the door and of guiding the lower which the top part of the door 9 abuts when the part thereof whereby tne lower part of the door i door is in closed position and when 1n such posimoves straight upwardly or downwardly 1n the 131011,v the lOWeI edge 0f the dOOI Will I'eSt 1113011 door opening as the door is shifted ,to opened or the Sill 3- At each'si'de'of the door 9 and at the bottom Another object of the invention is t0 lpremete thereof, there is secured to the inside of the door, in an overhead door.construction,.a .nove1 means 30 the biaCket l0 Which iS preferablyV fOrmed Of a of supporting the upper part ,ofl the door for Sliipv 0f angle irOn aS ShOWn, One flange of the swinging and sliding movementby-whieh there 'iron being secured flat against the inner face of is eliminated the necessity of Ybracingfthe,door the door while the other iiange extends inwardly against twisting or warping when it isheld in ii-,s and is Ilush with the'adjacent door edge surface.

Vopened position, Y 33 The lower end of this bracket extends to the bot- .Still another object is to .provide Van overhead 120m edge Of @he `d001' and adjdCeIl the 10Wer end door construction of such .design that when the '0f lhebidcket, there iS Secured 'in spaced rele'- door ris in its opened position, itwill be disposed OD With the inwardly prjecting llailge Y entirely within the buildingstructure'of which it 'lhefeOl a bearing Silip 0f metal l2 Which iS in forms y2 part and Wm not have any portion eX 40 spaced parallel relation with the flange Il and tending outwardly through the adjacent door Whichrotfi'ta'bly Supports an end of ai hmgepm Opening for exposureto the Weathen I3 which is mounted in a suitable opening there- The invention will be best 'understood from a in and which extends through an'opemng in the vconsideration .of the following detailed descrip- 4 5 flange ,I' Theouter end of this hinge pin Carries tion taken in Aoonnectionwith the accompanying drawings Vforming part Vof Vthis speciiication, Iwith the understanding, however; that'the invention is not to be confined to any strict conformity Wit-h the Showing 0f 'the dlewnesbut may 'be aefend or which-'is nxed to the frame, so that the Changed 01' modified s010113 @Seuch Chaiigesdf major portion of the'arm lextends horizontally modifications mar-k no Ymaterialdeparture Vjfrom inwardly While the angled portion, which is 'i'n the salient features of the invention as expressed dicated by the numeral I1, extends upwardly'and in theappended claims.

In the drawings: f -355 Asupporting means. One of these arms supports vthe tracks, which is suitable manner ported upon .the double sheaveI pulley be made to move `along .a Y

a single sheave pulley I8 while the other arm supports a double sheave pulley I9.

The numeral 29 generally designates a horizontally arranged track frame which may be formed of tubular material, as shown, and which consists of the two spaced parallel track portions 2| and a connecting bar portion between indicated at 22. The free ends of the track portions are secured in a suitable manner to the inner side of the door frame 2 between the pulley supporting arms IG while the inner end of the unit is supported from the ceiling or from a supporting structure by means of the hangers 23, which may be coupled to the overhead support by ak threaded sleeve 24 or in any other suitable manner which will facilitate adjusting the elevation of the inner end of the track unit.

The distance between the tracks 2| is such that when they arev arranged above the door 9 so that each will be the same distance from the vertical edge Aof the door, each track will be spaced from such vertical .edge a distance Aequal to approximately one-quarter ofthe width of the door. This provides forfa better balanced connection between the vtracks and the top edge of the door 9, which is accomplished 'through the medium of the runner umts 25.

Each of the runner units 2'5 consists of a clevis 29 which has the two spaced side portions 21 and the intermediate or yoke portion 28, and a hinge 29 consisting` of the two pivotally joined leaves 39 and 3|. The leaf 3| of each hinge is secured by a bolt 32 or in any other to the yoke 28 of the clevis, while ythe other leaf 39 is secured to the inner side of the doorv 9 at thetop edge thereof `and at right angles to such top edge.

Extending between the side portions 21 of the lclevis is a pivot bolt 33 on which is rotatably supported between the `portions 21, the periph- 'erally grooved roller 34 whichrests Vupon the top` of a track 2|, the track; passing beneath the roller and between the sides 2l of the clevis, as shown; It is preferred that the -clevis 26 be formed from strap metal of suitable weight although this is not essential as will be readily understood lThe pulley sheaves |8 and I9 which are supthe arms I6, are disposed outside of the track frame or unit 29, so that the cable -35 which is run over the pulley i8 and the cable 36- which is run over Vone of.;l the pulleys of .the double sheave .|8will extend in a straighty j line from the pulleysdownwardly to the brackets they are secured I at the adjacent sides of the doorwhere to the brackets lby the bolts 31 which are passed through the inwardly extending flanges of the brackets. v

vUpon the side of the door adjacent which I9 is mounted, the other ends of the cablesv 35 and 36 are secured total counterbalance weight 38 for the door.

-The wall adjacent vthis counterbalance weight, has secured thereto the vertical guide rod 39 for the weight which passesthrough a guide eye `40, which is secured tothe weight body. By Athis arrangement, Vdoor V9 is raised-v and lowered, the weight will itwillbe seen that as `the y ertical path without swinging.

As a suitable means for securing the door inner side of the door, thetwo bolt rods 4| suitable overhead opened or closed position without vture of a great amount of effort and also the the suspension cables perpendicular relation to which are mounted in guides 42 and which have their inner ends joined by the rotatable link 43 which is supported upon a suitable shaft 44, which passes through the door and is accessible from the outside. Thus when the shaft M is oscillated, the bolt rods 4| will be shifted transversely of the door to engage in or be removed from suitable keeper openings, not shown, which may be formed in the track angle irons 1. Any suitable key controlled means may be employed for locking the shaft M against rotathe bolt rods against movement whereby the door may be readily locked from the inside or the outside.

In the overhead door construction herein described, the rocking axis for the door as well as the suspension point or suspension line extending transversely thereof are disposed in close proximity to the bottom edge of the door as a result of which the door when properly counterbalanced by the weight 3B can be shifted to the expendimounting of the door in the frame or upon the tracks 'l is such that the lower part of the door will not swing outwardly from the frame as the door `is opened and, therefore, no difficulty-will be experienced in opening the door even though it may have snow and ice piled against the outer side thereof. Naturally because of this mounting, the door will open regardless of whatever may be pressing against the outside. It will also bereadily apparent that because ofthe mounting, the door when opened will be entirely within the building structure in which it is mounted and, therefore, will not be exposed to the weather. The runner units 25 are spaced apart so that the weight of the door is evenly divided between them, therefore, the door will be kept from sagging when opened. Due to the 'fact that the pulleys over which pass are at the outer sides ofthe tracks vand are slightly above the tracks, the door when in opened position, will have its bottom edge raised to the very top of the door opening, thus uncovering the opening to its funest height. What is claimed is: 1. A sliding pivotal guide for a shiftable structure such as a vertically movable door having a track: bar secured parallel with one side edge thereof, comprising an angle bracket secured to one facev of the door with one side parallel with and in the plane of the said side edge, a second angle bracket secured to the rst bracket and having one side in spaced parallel relation with the said side of the rst bracket, the said spaced sides of the bracket being provided with aligned openings, a pivot pin having a shank portion extending through and rotatably supported in the openings of the said spaced sides of the brackets, and a relatively long cylindrical head in abutting'relaton at its inner end with a face of the said side of the first bracket and extending laterally beyond and in the adjacent side edge ofthe door, means at' the end of the shank remote from the head for maintaining the shank in position in saidopenings, and said head having a relatively deep slot cut across its outer end to receive the said track bar. 2. A sliding `pivotal guide means for a shiftable structure such as a vertically movable door having a track bar secured parallel with one side edge thereof, a supporting bracket adapted to be secured to said structure adjacent to said one side edge, a hinge pin rotatably supported on said bracket perpendicular to said side edge,

and a slotted head forming an integral part of 5 said pin and extending beyond said side edge to slidably receive said track bar, said bracket having a ange portion extending perpendicular to the face of the door on which the bracket is secured, and said slotted head having a diameter greater than the major portion of the pin forming a shoulder bearing against the ange portion of the bracket.

OSCAR F. STOUFFER. 

